Battle for Gaea
by CuStOmBlUe-HeAvYaRmZ
Summary: Van and Dilandau battle to the death as the fate of Gaea is on line. Will Van win & save Gaea, or will Dilandau defeat Van and take Gaea into the darkness of the Black Dragon empire for eternity?
1. Before the Heat of Battle

"Don't do it Van!" yells Hitomi Kanzaki, a high school girl who was brought to Gaea by a mysterious presence, and is thought to be the Wing Goddess in the prophecy of Gaea.  
  
"I have to do this. The fate of Gaea is in my hands. Mine and nobody else's," says Van Finnel, a young king of Adom, his kingdom and hometown.  
  
Van had been arguing with Hitomi about the final battle between him and Dilandau, the leader of Black Dragon's Dragon Slayers unit. He had pondered back and forth for a while now, wondering if he is able to defeat Dilandau.  
  
I don't think I can do this, thought Van. I mean, if I lose, Adom AND Gaea will all belong to the Black Dragon empire. On the other hand, I won't lose. I have to win, for Hitomi, for Adom, and for all of Gaea.  
  
As Van prepares for the battle, he comes across Hitomi. "Van, be careful. Whatever happens, I'll still love you in the end, said Hitomi as Van wraps his arms around her. "Don't worry, Hitomi, I'll be careful." Van whispers gently into Hitomi's ear, "I love you, too," and kisses Hitomi.  
  
On his way to the mountains, Allen, unit commander of the rebellious Abaharaki, wishes him luck, as so do the rest of the Abaharaki, including Merle, a beast-human girl who has feelings for the king of Adom, and Millerna, a fierce lieutenant under the command of Allen.  
  
"Don't leave Lord Van!" exclaims Merle. "I'm sorry Merle, but it's for the fate of Gaea," Van calmly says as he prepares to leave.  
  
"We're wishing you the best of luck Van. Win it for us, and for every living thing on Gaea!" Allen says.  
  
"Don't worry, everybody, I'll come back alive!" Van shouts aloud in pride. "ESCAFLOWNE!!!" he yells as the legendary armor dives from above the clouds.  
  
As he mounts onto Escaflowne, Merle comes running toward Van, but it's already too late. Van has already ascended into the clouds above as he heads for the most important battle in the history of Gaea.  
  
"NO! Lord Van! Lord Van!" Merle continuously shouts.  
  
"It's no use, Merle!" says Hitomi.  
  
"Lord Van! Come Back!" 


	2. The Battle Begins

Van majestically rides on as Escaflowne continues to fly through the clouds, giving the both of them a bird's-eye view of the landscape. As they begin to fly over the mountains, Van oversees several dark-armored figures mounted on black horses.  
  
"There's that bitch Dilandau and his Dragon Slayers," Van says with a smile. "I guess I'm going to pay them a surprise visit."  
  
"Where the fuck is that bitch Van?" asks Dilandau. "Maybe he fled because he is scared what you are capable to do, Dilandau," says Jajuka, a canine-human who is lieutenant of the Dragon Slayers. "You're right, Jajuka, maybe he did run a way like the little bitch he is," Dilandau says with an evil smile.  
  
As they continue to talk, they never realized that Van was heading straight for them. Escaflowne dives straight for the Dragon Slayers as Van gets ready to dismount the dragon armor.  
  
"DILANDAU!!!!!" Van exclaims as he dives toward Dilandau and the Dragon Slayers.  
  
Dilandau dodges the attack that nearly killed him. "You idiotic mother fucker," says Dilandau in disgust. "Dilandau, do you need any-" Jajuka begins. "Shut the fuck up and leave this between me and Van," says Dilandau. "I won't need any help defeating the king of Adom. Besides, it won't be too long."  
  
As the rest of the Dragon Slayers begin to leave, Van draws out his sword and charges angrily at Dilandau, but Dilandau fires a force of energy at Van and is sent several feet away from Dilandau.  
  
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the king of Adom," says Dilandau as he approaches Van. "Luckily, I get to kill you, and then all of Gaea will be ruled by the Black Dragon empire!" Dilandau says, as he begins to laugh.  
  
"That will never happen Dilandau, you son of a bitch," Van says weakly as blood starts to flow from his right arm. "Haha, that's what you think!" says Dilandau. "I think I'll finish you off right now." As he draws his sword and raises it above Van, Van yells and shoots a burst of energy from himself.  
  
"You bitch!" Dilandau exclaims, holding his stomach. Van gets up off the floor and fires another burst of energy toward Dilandau.  
  
They both exchange energy blows from each other. The two aren't able to get up, but as they struggle to stand, Van calls upon Escaflowne with his last ounce of strength.  
  
Escaflowne swoops down to Van. "Haha. Impressive, Van. But I, too, have brought a surprise," says Dilandau, smiling, as Alseides emerges from behind the fallen leader. 


	3. The Final Fight

Escaflowne transforms into the legendary armor that the dragon had been hidden beneath the dragon. Looking at Escaflowne is like looking at origami, a beautiful form of art. As Escaflowne opens the cockpit for Van to enter, the inside reveals several circuitry, and looks mainly like the insides of a dragon.  
  
Van struggles to get to Escaflowne.  
  
As for Dilandau, he too, struggles to get to Alseides.  
  
"Haha. Van, Van, Van. I guess we aren't going to give up that easily," says Dilandau. "But hear this, I will kill you, and then Gaea will be under the rule of me and the Black Dragon empire for all eternity!!"  
  
"I don't think so," says Van as he successfully climbs into Escaflowne.  
  
The legendary armor stands tall, as if a knight in armor.  
  
"This determines the fate of Gaea!" as Dilandau charges Van and Escaflowne in Alseides.  
  
Swords clash as the two battle for the fate of Gaea. Escaflowne is struck down by the swords of Alseides and begins to bleed from the leg, but retaliates a moment later. More swords clash back and forth. Alseides is then struck down by a hard sword strike to the stomach by Escaflowne. Blood spurts out as Dilandau tries to recover from it.  
  
Suddenly, wings emerge from behind Alseides. Alseides gets airborne, just enough to see above Escaflowne.  
  
Escaflowne once again changes from armor to dragon and begins to get airborne, too, as Van is saddled onto the back.  
  
Liquid metal forms to two blades on each of Alseides' hands and swiftly glides to the dragon armor. Once again, the sound of swords echoed throughout the heavens.  
  
Blows are exchanged in the skies as both struggle for their lives.  
  
Finally, at the end of it all, Escaflowne comes out victorious, and sends Alseides crashing toward the rocky earth.  
  
Van Jumps off of Escaflowne's back, looking at the fallen dragon armor. "I did it," says Van, acting as if already defeated Dilandau, "I saved Gaea."  
  
Escaflowne returns to its original dragon armor, and heads toward the sunset.  
  
As it begins walking away from the wreckage, Alseides stands at last, and batters toward the hero. But as he nears the armor, Escalfowne turns around, sword in hand, and brutally stabs Alseides in the left arm, where the heart of the dragon armor is revealed.  
  
"You'll.burn in.hell.for this.Van." Dilandau says, struggling to say as the armor falls to the ground. As he takes his last breath of air, the voice of the leader of the Dragon Slayers fade away, into the deep, dark bowels of the mechanical dragon armor. 


	4. Aftermath

Van heads back toward the Abaharaki, struggling to not fall over. On his way back, he thinks to himself, Well, I saved Gaea, and all living things. At least it won't be overruled by the Black Dragon empire.  
  
As he nears the grounds of the Abaharaki, the whole Abaharaki unit comes jumping out of their hiding places, including Hitomi and Merle.  
  
"Look! Lord Van is back!" shouts a happy Merle.  
  
Oh Van, you're alive, thinks Hitomi happily.  
  
Escaflowne lands gently on the ground, and Van is helped down by Hitomi and Merle. "Van, thank God you're alright," says Hitomi. "I'm so glad you're alive Lord Van!" says Merle, hugging Van as he groans in agony. "Don't do that, Merle!" Hitomi says, "he's still hurt from the battle." Merle nods and lets go of the grip on Van.  
  
"Van, the Abaharaki is glad that you won the battle," says Allen triumphantly. "Thank you," Van says, still hurting from the battle, "thank you all for supporting me."  
  
There was then a huge celebration party, with a big feast for Van. Everybody had been enjoying themselves, but as for Van, Hitomi had been taking care of his battle wounds.  
  
"Van, I was worried you weren't going to make it," Hitomi says, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Don't worry Hitome, I'm here," Van tells Hitomi, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I was thinking about you the whole time, Van. I had been crying to myself about you ever since you left," she says. Van says, continuing to wipe off tears from Hitomi's cheek, "I have been thinking about you, too, Hitomi. During that battle with Dilandau, I was thinking to myself, I have to do this, for Gaea and for Hitomi." "Oh Van, I will stay here in Gaea, until the end of time, for our love," she says, hugging Van tightly.  
  
Van, too, hugs Hitomi as they were both bound by the love for each other. They both lie in bed, with Hitomi's arm over Van, resting peacefully as the celebration continues.  
  
"I love you, Hitomi," says Van as they fade away, into the depths of their dreams. "I love you, too, Van," says Hitomi. 


End file.
